Baseness
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īrṅkai vitirār kayavar koṭiṟuṭaikkuṅ / kūṉkaiya rallā tavarkku.
They will not shake a grain off a wet hand for anyone who asks — only for a fist that could break their jaw.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“From off their moistened hands no clinging grain they shake, / Unless to those with clenched fist their jaws who break.”
“The degenerate would grudge even to jerk his hands moistened with food, save to those that can break his jaw with clenched fists.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
கயவர் கொடிறு உடைக்கும் கூன் கையர் அல்லாதவர்க்கு= கயவர் தம் கதுப்பினை நெரிப்பதாக வளைந்த கையினை உடையர் அல்லாதார்க்கு; ஈர்ங்கை விதிரார்= தாம் உண்டு பூசிய கையைத் தெறித்தல் வேண்டும் என்று இரந்தாலும் தெறியார்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
They will not flick so much as what clings to a washed hand for anyone who asks — only for someone whose fist could break their jaw.